2019/11/17 — Brigada Today

2019/11/17 — Brigada Today

Compiled/Edited by Doug Lucas and Tina McCormick, Team Expansion
Brigada online has more graphics and links at www.brigada.org

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In this issue…
1) Would You Consider Matching What Brigada Participants Did Last Week?
2) Scripture Prayers for Unreached Peoples (even Chinese and Romanian)
3) Spanish School for Missionaries and Cross Cultural Christians
4) The U.N. Held their Conf. on Mental Health in Crisis Situations
5) Interested in Understanding Movements? Try This Conference
6) Waiting World Video series now available online at no cost
7) Are Disciple-making Movement Views Faulty on Conversion? Thoughts?
8) We have So Much to Learn about Optimizing Images for the Web
9) Remember Viv Grigg? He Spawned “Praying through the Gateway Cities”
10) Looking for opportunities to teach English online?
11) This Two-Hour Motion Picture is Free – and Stirring Even (DMM/Iran)
12) Can an “International Conference on Missions” Survive in 2019?
13) We’re Grateful for…
14) The Last Bit: Islam and Violence, Persecution and Terror: Why?
15) Closing Stuff

1) Would You Consider Matching What Brigada Participants Did Last Week?

1) Would You Consider Matching What Brigada Participants Did Last Week?

Over the past 7 days, Brigada participants gave an amazing $3,187 which brings the 2019 giving to $11,136.55, which is just $5,863.45 short of the 2020 budget of $17,000. Amazing! If it would be possible for an equal number of friends to match what those partners did this past week for just two more weeks, we’d be completely done for our entire 2020 budget and Brigada would be sent to the screens of thousands and thousands of Christian workers all over the globe. Would you consider chipping in to finish the total? 

 

2) Scripture Prayers for Unreached Peoples (even Chinese and Romanian)

Praying Scripture is praying God’s way. Unlike many prayer resources with demographic data or prayer points, this 24-page full-color booklet allows you to insert a people group’s name into scripted prayers oriented in the Biblical text. Visit …

 

reverbnetwork.org/spftpotw

 

for FREE downloadable PDFs in English, Russian, Chinese, Ukrainian, and Romanian. Order printed copies in English with up to 50% off on bulk orders. Declare and pray God’s truth over peoples living in falsehood.

 

3) Spanish School for Missionaries and Cross Cultural Christians

3) Spanish School for Missionaries and Cross Cultural Christians

Roca Blanca Missionary Spanish School in Oaxaca, Mexico emphasizes excellence and immersion into a Hispanic culture. They’ve served over 30 mission agencies in the last ten years. Oaxaca has the largest number of unreached people groups in the Western Hemisphere (16 major language groups, with 155 dialects), with needy coastal towns and rustic mountain villages, providing ample opportunity for ministry experience and other-culture interaction. Take a look at

 

rocamission.com/rocablancaspanish/ !

 

4) The U.N. Held their Conf. on Mental Health in Crisis Situations

And you can see a 3-minute video and summary at…

 

www.government.nl/ministries/ministry-of-foreign-affairs/events/mental-health-and-psychosocial-support-in-crisis-situations

 

We’re so fortunate that Kelly and Michèle O’Donnell are willing to represent our entire network at these gatherings. They not only keep us informed — they also speak into the development of thought for these streams.

 

5) Interested in Understanding Movements? Try This Conference

The Network for the Missiological Study of Global Movements to Christ is calling for a “Movements Research Symposium,” Oct. 1-4, 2020, in Beirut, Lebanon. They’ve attracted at least 3 experts — David Garrison, David Lim, and Craig Ott. Their goals are to encourage research, empower front-lines implementers, foster critique, investigate the relationship between DMM and transformation, and ask for published materials on all the above. It sounds like a great meeting. In particular, they want to focus on “praxis” — what people are DOING. They’ve supposedly talked Ted Esler and Steve Addison into going. They asked us to consider it too. Would you consider it as well? Learn more at…

 

muslimministry.blogspot.com/p/movements.html

 

Fill out the form at…

 

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfq0xQaq7DQ7c1m1iKuawkiHcoptYa1pHluf6p3WEGwkrf9LA/viewform

 

or write to

movements2020atgmaildotcom  (movements2020atgmaildotcom)   (and they’ll answer from a secure email).

 

6) Waiting World Video series now available online at no cost

6) Waiting World Video series now available online at no cost

The producers of the Waiting World Prayer videos series have decided to make their videos available online at no cost. These videos are prayer videos that can be used to start intercessionary prayers for the lost of the 10/40 Window. Included are 36 unreached people group videos, videos on the 10/40 Window, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Animism. and the Great Commission. Check it out at…

Thewaitingworld.net 

If you can use dynamite video media on the Maratha, Balinese, Punjabi, Golog, Shan, Uighur, Azerbaijani, Wolof, Zhuang, Sasak, Pushtun, Khmer, Soninke, Tibetan, Fulani, Burmese, Baluch, Han Chinese, Makassar, Mongol, Nepali, Rajput, Vietnamese, Bengali, Albanian, Indian Urban, Iraqi, Japanese, Bhil, Gur, Lampungese, Thai, Kashmiri, Arab, Berber, Turk, anyone in the 10/40 Window, anyone in the Islamic world, anyone Buddhist, tribal/animist, and anyone focused on the Great Commission, you’ll find a video for YOU. This video, for example (which we might title, “We Speak to Nations,” or “Hear the Sound,” might work at your next mission rally or event. You could use either title, or even the title, “Be Free,” as the theme of your next event and use this video as your rallying point video:

www.dropbox.com/s/y4pcgr972sb3iom/We%20Speak%20to%20Nations%20copy.mp4?dl=0

Imagine, if your church is open to choreography or the use of flags or even “worship dance,” imagine a group helping communicate this song to the audience while the video plays on the big screen. Powerful.

You could use this video on the Great Commission on the second night:

www.dropbox.com/s/ulz5nhje7t28f9r/Great%2520Commission%252010-11.mp4?dl=0

By doing so, you could help put an end to all the people who told Barna they had no idea what the Great Commission says. The testimonies near the end are diverse — so you could introduce greater diversity to your group — even if it’s very monocultural or monoethnic.

This is really incredible — that they’re letting us download 1.2 Gig high res videos. Awesome. Thanks to “thewaitingworld“!!! The crazy thing is — they haven’t even branded these videos with appeals for funds or even with clear logos to build their brand. It’s like — they actually just care mainly about getting out the message. Love it.

7) Are Disciple-making Movement Views Faulty on Conversion? Thoughts?

This podcast is indeed garnering a lot of attention. We’re hearing several people comment on it. It’s a discussion from the ABWE featuring guest specialist, Dr. Glenn Sunshine, who is a professor history at a university out East. It’s worth the listen:

 

missionspodcast.com/podcast/disciple-making-movements-a-critical-discussion-with-dr-glenn-sunshine/

 

8) We have So Much to Learn about Optimizing Images for the Web

8) We have So Much to Learn about Optimizing Images for the Web

Are you like we are — out of time? Do you wish you could optimize your images for the web in such a way that they’d be engaging — and that they would pull viewers into your content and story? Boy. We’d love to do that too. But there’s so much to learn. We read articles like this one and just … sigh.

 

www.godaddy.com/garage/how-to-optimize-images-for-web

 

We should all go back to school again and our teachers should all teach us this kind of practical stuff for the year, 2020, right? When we went to school, nobody was really teaching us about how to put images on the web. (Yikes. When I [Doug] went to school, there really wasn’t a web!)

 

9) Remember Viv Grigg? He Spawned "Praying through the Gateway Cities"

9) Remember Viv Grigg? He Spawned "Praying through the Gateway Cities"

This guy. I (Doug) remember him in the 80s and 90s big-time. He was super-active in the AD2000 & Beyond Movement. In 1989 (Was that Lausanne II in Manilla), I think he was living in a garbage dump with the poor in Manilla. But later, I think he was living with the urban poor in India. And later, I think he was teaching with Betty Sue Brewster at Fuller. Suddenly, this guy popped back up last week. I was at a convention and a friend and fellow missions-CEO was kind enough to go to great lengths to connect me. (Thanks Kip! By the way, the guys in the picture are Viv, Doug, and Kip.) Viv is at it again, figuring out Kingdom economics, helping us understand Kingdom-based values in “Economic Discipleship.” Learn more about his ten Biblical principles of economics here:

 

www.economicdisciple.org/

 

10) Looking for opportunities to teach English online?

Then you may check want to check out Preply. They have plenty of real students` requests who are looking for online English tutors.

 

preply.com/en/skype/english-tutoring-jobs

Obviously, all the normal “let the buyer beware” warnings always apply — but it looks like some real people are willing to pay real dollars if you can seriously help them (or their kids) learn English. Like — $11 dollars/hour — from your house, with no commute. And here’s one willing to pay $35 dollars/hour? Whoa. Could you possibly gently use this as a ministry opportunity to those how are also seeking hope and direction?

 

11) This Two-Hour Motion Picture is Free – and Stirring Even (DMM/Iran)

11) This Two-Hour Motion Picture is Free – and Stirring Even (DMM/Iran)

Here’s a two-hour, all-out motion picture – filmed all over the world with beautiful cinematography that will prompt many questions about disciple-making movements (DMMs), Iran, the Middle East, Muslims, and more. You could *easily* ask your small group, youth group, DMM group, or Sunday School class to watch this movie through the week then gather in your normal group to discuss it. Come up with 5 penetrating questions while you watch it (then please post your questions in the comments so others can use them) and … bam… you have a VERY engaging discussion with real-life issues. For example, “Prior to watching this movie, what were your thoughts on Iran? How did this movie change them?” or “What were some of the principles mentioned that you didn’t previously associate with DMM?” or “Imagine you’re living in Iran. Would you take the kinds of risks that these believers are taking? Why or why not?” You’ll think of dozens more. “Are there portions of the movie that you just can’t or won’t believe? Are there practices you just can’t accept into your life? Why?” It’s free. It’s engaging. And it will stir you. Volume II is the one particularly worth watching (all due respect). (Note: We kind of thought there was a gentle pitch for the organizations who produced the movie (especially near the end) but, hey, that’s typical, right? And note that we know nothing about those organizations. But the movie is engaging either way.)

 

sheepamongwolvesfilm.com/

 

(Thanks for the tip, Jeff!)

 

12) Can an "International Conference on Missions" Survive in 2019?

12) Can an "International Conference on Missions" Survive in 2019?

The answer is apparently yes. Coordinator Dave Empson has taken a conference that previously saw average attendances of 1500 to 2000 (with a high of 4200) and DOUBLED the attendance. Last week’s International Conference on Missions (ICOM) saw a total of 8500 people gathering in Kansas City from hundreds of churches and dozens of colleges. The offerings totaled more than $62,000 and there were 42+ new commitments by new full-time mission recruits. And there were zillions of exhibitors. Check it out (and pop in during the 2020 convention) if you want to learn how he’s pulling it off.

 

theicom.org/

 

You can also watch free live streams of the main sessions, archived.

 

They even had me (Doug) give a two-minute feature announcement on Zume at the Saturday evening session. So this session is particularly interesting. hahahaha (Skip to minute 37 if you’re interested in learning more about Zume and the guy I interviewed.) :

 

livestream.com/accounts/1713981/events/8891326/videos/198986006

 

13) We’re Grateful for…

…amazing, encouraging, heart-moving gifts of $30, $20, $50, $100, $100 (from a “true fan of Brigada” from Switzerland, $10, $100 from a “true fan of Brigada” from Evansville, IN, $10, $25, $100 from two different “true fans of Brigada who are both from the great state of Texas, $25 from a worker in East Africa, $10, $100 from a “True Fan of Brigada” who thanked us for our partnership with Missio Nexus, $12, $25, $50, $15, $40, $100 from a “true fan” who loves to pray scripture, $25. We are sooooooooo grateful for all these friends!

…$35 from our friends at CatalystServices.org . Thank you!

…$300 from tremendous “true fans” of Brigada who love caring for cross-cultural workers. God bless you!

…$100 from friends at Good News Productions International. Thanks!

…$25 from a friend of Brigada who also loves to take care of the planet. We’re grateful!

…$10 from an advocate for Advancing Your Vision for the Unreached. Thank you!

…$100 from a “true fan” of Brigada who also loves Roca Blanca Spanish School. God bless!

…$10 from a proponent of MissionNext (formerly Finishers Project)

and $1000 from a church which asked to be anonymous, but wrote, “Our church has benefited greatly from Brigada Today this past year. We don’t see this as a gift. . . we see it as an investment in the Kingdom of God! We hope others will too!” Talk about encouragement! God bless you!

…$60 from our friends at Visual Story International. Thanks!

…$500 from our great friends at Equipping the Saints. Thank you so much!

 

We’re soooooooo grateful. We’ve sent personal thank-you notes to each of these friends — but words can’t express it enough. God bless you for your help and partnership!!!

 

This all adds up to $3,187 given in just one week’s time — which is stupendous — and brings our over all giving total to $11,136.55, which is just $5,863.45 short of the 2020 budget of $17,000. Amazing! If it would be possible for an equal number of friends to match what those partners did this past week for just two more weeks, we’d be completely done for our entire 2020 budget and we wouldn’t have to mention finances for a full year!

 

 

Want to partner with Brigada in reaching unreached peoples by lifting up information, resources, and trends about the task remaining? If so, just click “Donate” at www.brigada.org, or mail a check payable to Team Expansion (Brigada), 13711 Willow Reed Drive, Louisville, KY 40299. Team Expansion is a 501(c)3 incorporation so, for USA citizens, your gift to Christ by writing a check to Team Expansion is tax-deductible. Thank you, in advance, for your partnership!

 

14) The Last Bit: Islam and Violence, Persecution and Terror: Why?

14) The Last Bit: Islam and Violence, Persecution and Terror: Why?

We loved noting in the most recent Missions Catalyst that Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the Indonesian Muslim political party and world’s largest moderate Muslim movement, had made a significant break with Islamic conservatism in an unprecedented decision to abolish the legal category of “infidel” (kafir) for non-Muslims.

 

barnabasfund.org/en/news/worlds-largest-islamic-organisation-drops-legal-category-of-%E2%80%9Cinfidel%E2%80%9D-in-historic-decision

 

What does this mean? We hope and pray that it might mean that at least some Muslims are turning a corner and, in 2019, maybe they’re stopping the practice of beating people up if they decide to follow their heart into a different religious belief. Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with trying to persuade a nephew to continue to follow the family religion. But to ambush a nephew in a dark alley and leave him bloodied and abandoned (as it happened to a friend of mine (Doug’s) in Morocco in 2019 is just crazy. Right?

 

At the same time, we also noted this recent post at the Zwemer Center:

 

www.zwemercenter.com/why-the-polarization-concerning-islam-and-violence/

 

So ARE Muslims prone to violence or not? We asked a PhD student who is deep into a specialization on North Africa and the Middle East. We pointed him to the Zwemer article and asked for his input. He has several projects in the works focused on the origins of terror. He responded, like this:

 

“The article makes a straightforward point – that two broad interpretations of the Quran exist, one that broadly condemns violence (rooted in the Muhammad era) and a more recent ‘radical’ interpretation. This is not controversial insofar as its obvious groups like the Taliban/al-Qaeda claim to have a legitimate interpretation of the Quran. In fact, the article’s short take on the two interpretations seems entirely *correct.* However, I do have an issue with the article’s conclusion – it makes the implicit argument that if a religion (Islam in this specific case) is interpreted in multiple ways, we can’t know its true nature (it says this exactly). The overwhelming majority of Muslims reject the violent jihadist reading that Islamist terror groups employ though and favor the interpretation that is rooted in history and Islamic jurisprudence – one that is peaceful and loving. That is its true nature – why dispute that? Unfortunately the article therefore causes problems for Christianity too – tons of terror groups also misinterpret the Bible! Does the horrible and violent interpretation that the KKK, Joseph Kony, etc use mean that we can’t know the true nature of Christianity? No – it means they are reading it incorrectly.” (Thanks for your thoughts. We’ll leave you anonymous because of some of your current projects. — but thanks all the more.)

 

So what are YOUR thoughts? Why is Islam sometimes associated with violence? Can you see that Christianity is sometimes misunderstood as being in the same vein? Most importantly, what can we do (if anything) to help steer the world toward peace — and freedom to follow one’s heart? Click “Comment” after the web version of this item if you can straighten us out please.

 

15) Closing Stuff

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